TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning selected forward Jonathan Drouin with the third overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced.

Drouin, 18, skated in 49 games with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season, registering 41 goals and 105 points to go along with 32 penalty minutes. He ranked first on the Mooseheads in goals, assists (64), points and shorthanded goals with four. The Ste-Agathe, Quebec native also led all Moosehead forwards with a plus-48 rating during the regular season. He ranked second in the QMJHL in points, third in assists and ranked tied for seventh for goals. Drouin also skated in 17 playoff games, recording 12 goals and 35 points with 14 penalty minutes. He helped the Mooseheads win the Memorial Cup, recording five assists in the championship game against the Portland Winterhawks.

Drouin was named as the Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year and was the QMJHL’s Michel Briere winner as the most valuable player. He was also named the QMJHL First All-Star Team, won the Michael Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL’s top draft prospect and was the QMJHL’s Playoff MVP.

The 5-foot-11, 176-pound forward has skated in 82 career QMJHL games, all with Halifax, notching 48 goals and 134 points to go along with a plus-43 rating. Drouin has also played in 34 career playoff games, tallying 21 goals and 61 points to go along with a plus-28 rating.

Drouin skated in six games with Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF Junior World U-20 Championships in Ufa, Russia, recording two goals and four points in six games.